


Glitch Lessons

by Tabbynerdicat



Series: Stripesverse [16]
Category: Video Blogging RPF, Who Killed Markiplier, jacksepticeye
Genre: M/M, this is just a bunch of soft gay shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22084495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabbynerdicat/pseuds/Tabbynerdicat
Summary: Dark is having trouble nailing his part of the Heist, and Anti offers to help him. Hijinks ensue.
Relationships: Darkiplier/Antisepticeye
Series: Stripesverse [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598143
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85





	Glitch Lessons

"Perhaps,  _ I'm _ the crazy one…" Dark muttered to himself, biting back a frustrated sigh. "Perhaps… Perhaps,  **_I'm_ ** the crazy one…  **Perhaps…** "

Oh, what was the use? There was no point in continuing with this ridiculous plan, was there? Sucking up to the Actor, asking to be part of his newest scheme, all in the hopes that he'd be able to communicate with the people who looked up to the cowardly man? What, truly, had he been expecting? Free reign over his words?

_ Oh _ , what a  _ joke _ …

Mark had allowed him one role-  _ one _ ending, last of them all, and the task of giving his fans access to the blooper reel. An arduous speech he must have heard over, and over, and  _ over _ again- and if he deviated from his script for a single moment, Mark would quite possibly pull the plug on his input altogether.

_ I'm a damn fool, aren't I? _

He let out a huff of mild resentment, though he was  _ determined _ to get this right. Mark hadn't allowed him to speak to them directly in so long that even the silliest contact was crucial in maintaining his plan. He just had to make them  _ remember _ him. He just had to make them  _ see _ …

"Spinning his yarns, his webs, his _lies_ …" Dark murmured. "His **_lies_** **…** _I_ know the feeling- no, _no…_ "

It needed to have more  _ passion _ \- this was his only chance to show them just how desperate he was for their assistance. He needed them to know the pain he'd suffered- he needed them to  _ see _ just how horrible all of this was.

_ Once more, with feeling… _

"Heya Darky, I- oh…"

Dark wasn't at all surprised when Anti opened the door to the bathroom, a towel in his hands, looking as though he wanted to shower. About time, too- the fiendish glitch hadn't bathed in what must have been four days by now, and he was starting to smell like an overloaded power outlet. He'd only relented and admitted it when Dark had refused to kiss him again until he was clean, seeming oddly apologetic.

_ I suppose I should play that card more often... _

"Hello, dear…" Dark sighed softly, fiddling with the piece of lined paper in his hands.

Anti peered curiously at him, setting his towel down on the hamper and gesturing to Dark's body. "Why are you on the vanity, Dark? You'll hurt your ass sittin' like that."

"Surely you know by now that I am numb to such trivial pain…" Dark muttered, brushing his fringe out of his eyes and taking in his appearance, reflected in the mirror. Pale skin, darkened eyes, his lack of a suit making him seem all the more quaint and useless. He'd finally invested in pyjamas when Anti had started sleeping over- they were much more comfortable in bed than a tuxedo was, and they were certainly easier to adjust after certain rounds of…

Well, they were  _ convenient _ . But not scary. Not impressive.

_ Perhaps I should change…? _

Anti smirked, resting his chin on Dark's shoulder and snaking his arms around him, meeting his eyes in the mirror's reflection. Dark adored Anti's playful side, of  _ course _ he did- but he was much too busy to indulge in this nonsense now. "Awh, Darky, that's not what ye were sayin' last week…"

Despite his urge to roll his eyes and scoff, Dark smiled fondly in remembrance. He still swatted Anti's hands away, however- there was a time and place for such shenanigans, and it was  _ not _ when Anti hadn't washed himself for days on end, and Dark was practicing for his first debut on the channel in months.

"Get your filthy hands away from me and shower, you dirty little minx…"

"You stickin' around?" Anti asked him with a defeated sigh, stripping down and stepping into the shower. He was clearly in the mood for something lighthearted and fun- but they both knew that those moments were rarely sought by both of them at once. 

"'Cause I mean, there's always room for two…"

"I'm not going to let you fuck me in a shower, Anti, that's dangerous." Dark deadpanned, staring glumly at his hand.

Anti scoffed at that, letting out a humoured snort. "I don't always think with my dick, ye know? Didn't mean it like that- anyways, just warnin' ye, I sing very loud, and  _ very _ off-key…"

"Yes, dear, I know." Dark agreed, not bothering to meet Anti's eyes as he heard the shower curtain being drawn closed. Anti wouldn't accept the compliment, but Dark actually quite liked his singing voice. It was something that set him apart from his brothers, as they'd all inherited their creator's lack of talent. Anti, as the opposite of everything his creator strived to be, was also a  _ fantastic _ singer.

But Dark would let that self-deprecation slide this once.

He occupied himself again with his script, ruffling his hair in the mirror. He could hardly be bothered to change into his suit now- he was much too comfortable in what he was wearing, but… perhaps with a tie…?

**"So much trouble, all for something so…** **_small_ ** **…"** Dark spoke softly, summoning a plain white tie and adjusting it around his collar. It looked less alien than he might have anticipated, though it still didn't sit  _ right _ . No matter. For now, it would do. 

"So much  **_trouble_ ** **…** "

"You're not talkin' about  _ me _ , are ye?"

Anti's voice was somewhat distorted by the echo of the tiles, but Dark could still hear the insecurity in his tone. He let out a soft sigh, turning his head in the direction of the shower, knowing he needed to clarify this before it got too far out of hand.

"No, dear, of  _ course  _ not- it's a silly script that Mark wrote up for me. I'm simply… trying to make it work in my favour. For someone who boasts so insistently that he knows my every whim, he is remarkably  _ terrible _ at writing my character…"

"Just the other month ye were plottin' to make him look bad, weren't ye? And now you're all buddy-buddy?"

"It's… complicated." Dark answered vaguely, knowing deep down that Anti was right. He shouldn't have entertained Mark's silly games like this. He was playing right into his hands all over again- would he never learn?

"Mhm,  _ complicated _ …"

"I don't hear you using any soap in there." Dark retorted defensively, red aura sending little pink light shadows across the room. "And I  **promise you** , if you aren't as polished as Wilford's pistol collection when you step out of that amenity, you will be getting  **nowhere** near me…"

"Soap doesn't make a fuckin' noise, Dark, you're losin' it…" Anti snorted in amusement, evidently not feeling threatened at all. "And nobody calls a shower an  _ amenity _ \- I think you've been workin' too hard. When was the last time ye even ate, huh?"

Dark pinched at the bridge of his nose, knowing before he even tried to remember that it had been more than a few days at least.

"That is… irrelevant, Anti. I don't  _ need  _ to eat."

"Yeah, but it fuckin' helps…"

_ He really was losing it, wasn't he? _

Dark sighed bitterly, shuffling in place and making sure his tie was hanging properly down his front. He looked himself in the eyes, furrowing his brows, and started to speak again.

"Same snake, different  _ skin _ … er…  **same** **_snake_ ** **…** no…"

Why wasn't it coming out right? Why wasn't he good at this anymore? Why was this god-forsaken script so  _ pathetically  _ redundant? This wasn't the part he'd asked for.

_ But it was the part I knew I would receive from the likes of him… _

"I always thought… I always  _ thought _ you were trapped in his  _ games _ …  **perpetually plunging** …  **_plunging_ ** down the rabbit holes of his… oh, you conceited  _ asshole _ …"

"You seem like ye need some rest, Darky." Anti called, turning off the shower and stepping out to put on his towel. "Gettin' mad at a little piece of paper ain't healthy."

"Trust me, dear, it isn't the  _ paper _ I'm frustrated with…" Dark growled lowly, aware of Anti's presence growing nearer. He could feel him leaning over his shoulder, the droplets of water dripping from his hair soaking into Dark's lap, his warm little breaths so at  _ ease _ as they fell onto Dark's neck.

_ I hate you. _

Dark  _ wished _ he could have such a simple, carefree attitude, if only for a few moments of his afterlife.

"Is there anythin' I can do to help?"

_ And now he's offering to help me… It's simply impossible to stay mad at you, isn't it? _

"Perhaps you could read through it and make sense of what he's attempting to convey…?" Dark suggested, thankful that Anti had at least dried his hands before picking up the script and holding it at eye-level. He'd dropped the towel and he was now standing there stark naked, but that only served to show Dark that he  _ was _ in fact clean. It seemed that when he was motivated, there was nothing Anti couldn't do- if only he'd take the initiative to do this more often.

The glitch peered at the script, tongue between his teeth, clearly intrigued. " _ Hm _ . I mean, I get what he's goin' for, but it's definitely not  _ you _ . I don't think ye could pull this level of snark off if ye tried… what's this,  _ 'people like you only want one thing' _ ..."

Anti let out a tiny chuckle, reading the script all the way through, muttering the more ridiculous lines mockingly under his breath. "Oh, man, that's a  _ joke _ … at least Jack gives me lines that suit me. Mark's a bitter fuckin' cuck and it  _ shows _ ."

"I'm glad you agree." Dark sighed, smiling at that jab when he realised Anti didn't even know the half of Mark's cuckold history. The Actor must just exude wasted potential, and no thought had ever seemed more satisfying. "But how will I perform it without making myself look like the fool he envisions me to be? Even your first reading of that sounded  _ much _ better than mine, and I've been practicing for hours…"

"It's 'cause  _ I  _ already sound like a prick," Anti shrugged knowingly, "it's like second nature for me. But you're not like that. You're careful and calculated, and  _ this _ … it's not you, Darky. It's not a spiel you'd give unless ye were  _ really _ gettin' into it."

"... What do you mean?" Dark muttered, raising an eyebrow. "What circumstance would ever prompt me to spout such drivel?"

Anti shot him a knowing, teasing smirk. "Dunno, Darky, ye seemed  _ super _ dramatic when I ate the last of that triple-choc fudge ice cream…"

"Oh hush, you…" Dark shushed him, flushing as he remembered the incident Anti was citing. "I left you **_explicit_** instructions to ignore it… and I'd hardly call my manner _dramatic.._."

"Dark, ye  _ literally  _ didn't sleep with me for two weeks, and every time I looked at ye, you acted like I wasn't there.  _ Fuck _ , I had to threaten to go to  _ Will _ to get my rocks off for you to even  _ talk _ to me again."

**"And you'd best not be going to Will for anything of the sort, or I'll hold my petty grudge for even** **_longer_ ** **."** Dark warned him, folding his arms, letting some of that stubborn possessive nature he denied he even held shine through. " **But we're...** losing the point of this endeavour- how would you suggest that I perform this sub-par script of his?"

Anti didn't seem like he wanted to let go of that topic, but with one more warning glare, he relented with a sigh. "Really not in the mood for jokes, huh?"

**"** **_Anti_ ** **…"**

"Alright, jeez,  _ fine… _ " Anti muttered under his breath. "Hold on, I'll show ye how it's done... "

Dark held his sitting position as he turned, watching Anti drape his towel over his shoulders and walk to the other side of the room. He looked simply gorgeous, despite being somewhat more of an insufferable pain today than ever. If Dark wasn't insistent on proving a point, the sight  _ might _ have been enough to dissuade him from stewing in his sour mood.  _ Maybe _ .

Anti cleared his throat, the air around him starting to crackle and whine with the appearance of his glitch aura. "Let's see…"

When he moved, it was like he was  _ born _ for the role.

"Pe̗͆ȓ̰ḧ̫́a̬̓p̟̊s͍̎  _ I'm _ the  _ c̩̔rá̫͜͡z͇̞̏͛y̨̠̍͝  _ one…" Anti uttered, a smirk creeping its way onto his cheeks. "Perhaps we've m͚̠̦̻͖͇͡e͉̹̕t̳̬͙ͅ a  _ hundred times _ already, and  _ you simp̛ly͞ don't ͟͞r̸e͘͘m̶͞҉emb̸e̵͜r̴̛͜ it… _ "

He let out a sinister little chuckle, and Dark felt shivers as it cascaded around the tiled room, reverberating subtly in his ears. 

Anti spoke again, grinning between lines, voice glitching more than he'd let it glitch in months. "P̡e͡r̸h̨a͠͡p͘҉s͘ you're  _ ̡t̸͢i̛͜re̡͟d  _ of me repeating myself, over, and ̵̢o̷͘͝ve̷r̛͞, and  _ o̵͏ve̵r _ , and  _ ̨͜͜o̶̢͠v͏ȩr͡ _ , and  _ ҉͠o͞v̡er̵̷ ̛̛a̷͞g͡a͏̛i̡͢n̵̡͠!" _

Dark sat in place, speechless, completely dumbstruck as Anti performed those lines to  _ goddamn _ perfection. He was in his element- glitching, adapting a green hue, eyes flashing with a kind of mirth Dark hadn't seen him wear in several months. He was cackling, laughing- the lights in the bathroom flickered at the intensity of Anti's chaotic aura, but that only seemed to excite him further.

" _ M͏a͞y͘be you would just miss my pre͟t͟ty face _ …" Anti teased, raising an eyebrow in Dark's direction.

"Most certainly," Dark agreed instantly, " _ undoubtedly… _ my God, Anti, that was  _ amazing... _ "

_ I haven't seen you so happy to be yourself in years... _

The glitch blushed modestly, shaking his head, still completely unsure of how to handle praise despite Dark showering him in it at every opportunity. "Nah, Darky, that… that was just instinct. I'm  _ way  _ outta practice, y'know, since Marv's been takin' my place… I haven't done anythin' like that in ages."

"It was brilliant." Dark reaffirmed, beckoning Anti closer. "It was  _ exactly _ what I needed… you're so  _ inspiring _ , dear. One day I hope you'll see that too…"

"Look at ye, you're not even mad anymore…" Anti teased softly, letting Dark wrap his arms around him in a chillingly affectionate hug. "I'm glad I could help ye out. But I haven't seen ye do anythin' like this before- sure ye can pull it off?"

"No," Dark admitted with a small smile, "certainty is  _ not  _ a part of this intrigue, but… I do want to give it a try. Promise you won't laugh? I'm sure my first attempt will be nothing short of  _ abysmal _ …"

Anti chuckled, the remnants of his glitch aura echoing the sound. "I've got ye, Darky…"

Needless to say, Dark was correct. His voice, while much suited to his usual performance, was painfully different from what he was striving to replicate. It was too deep, too  _ solid _ \- nothing like the airy, scattered voice that Anti was famous for. The glitch was holding back his laughter for Dark's sake, and he had to appreciate that- even if it was very obvious that Anti found his attempts laughable.

After a third reading, he let his head dip, a sigh leaving his lips.

"Go on, then- let it out."

"You're cute."

"I am  **not** cute," Dark huffed, "I am  **_intimidating_ ** ."

"Not when ye do that, you're not…" Anti snorted, the last of his chuckles dying out. "C'mon, Darky, take it one step at a time- sound it out. What are ye tryin' to get across?"

"I am  _ trying _ to act in such a way that won't make my performance laughable…" Dark muttered, scowling spitefully at his script. "This is such a hopeless endeavour,  _ what _ possessed me to pursue it…?"

"Dedication?" Anti suggested, snaking an arm around Dark's middle and leaning in close.

"Would you  _ please  _ put some clothes on?" Dark sighed, resting his head against Anti's cheek. "I'm not exactly in the mood for sex, but I'm sure if you keep walking around like that I'll lose all interest in my task and change my mind…"

Anti mocked him under his breath, but let go of Dark's torso anyway. At least he had some measure of respect for Dark's boundaries, as pointless and flighty as they were. Before he left the room, he cupped Dark's cheek and brought him into a sweet little kiss, smirking when the older man let out a grunt of surprise. It was over before they could get too caught up in it, but it did the job well enough.

Dark, despite his warning, grimaced at the separation. "You  _ teasing  _ little minx…"

" _ Not in the mood for sex _ , he says…" Anti chuckled in return, making sure to shake his hips upon finally exiting the bathroom. Anti couldn't lie- sex was great, but he wasn't necessarily in the mood for it right now either. He'd much prefer something softer- a movie night, or a walk in the park, or a petty little pillow fight like the one they'd had a few weeks ago. Something that left them a different kind of exhausted, yet just as fulfilled.

If only Dark would put away that pathetic excuse for a scripted monologue…

"Perhaps  _ I'm _ the crazy one…" Anti mocked him further, snorting under his breath. "It's  _ me _ ,  _ Darkiplier _ , and through the power of my  _ oh so sexy _ voice, I will  _ bend you to my will _ … or whatever. Bend you to your  _ knees _ … mmh, but don't tell anyone I'm Anti's bottom bitch, I have a  _ reputation _ to uphold,  _ bleh _ …"

"I  _ can _ still hear you, dear."

Anti chuckled fondly, slipping on a plain black shirt and a fresh pair of pyjama pants, sitting with his legs crossed on Dark's bed. "You'd hear me even better if you'd get  _ off _ the damn sink and cuddle me…"

"I find your transparency sickening." Dark muttered, though Anti could hear the telltale sound of footsteps from behind the bathroom wall. "So blunt, and  _ brash _ …"

"Oh  _ please _ , tell me more about how ye discipline bad boys,  _ Damien _ … From what I've heard, it was the bad boys disciplining  _ you _ …"

Dark actually did a double take at that- he sounded like he was holding in a bark of laughter, and stepped in through the doorway looking adorably amused, eyes lingering on Anti's smug expression.

"You wouldn't be wrong about that…" Dark hummed, eyes twinkling blue. "Oh, Anti… you really can brighten the dullest of moments…"

" _ Gross _ ." Anti snorted, but let Dark approach him and sit between his legs regardless. He adjusted his position so that he was cradling Dark in his limbs, holding him around the middle and pressing his chest into Dark's back. Dark let out a contented sigh, resting his head back and letting Anti carry his weight for the moment. Sometimes, the physical contact was better than anything they'd ever felt before.

"Feelin' a little better, Darky?" Anti cooed, pressing a kiss to the side of Dark's face.

Dark let out a low hum of agreement, closing his eyes. "Yes… but I still need to figure this script out, and-"

"Shh…" Anti hushed, holding Dark just a little tighter around the middle. "That thing isn't gonna mind if ye wait a while,  _ I _ will…"

Dark snorted under his breath. "Of course, dear… I do wish that I had some of your talent. When it comes to performance, I… I'm quite lacking in every field but my own. If only I could emulate your sheer  _ chaos _ , and turn it into something just as memorable…"

"Mhm…" Anti agreed vaguely, cheek pressed against Dark's own, feeling the chill of his lover's aura washing over him in waves. Excited, nervous,  _ eager _ … it'd be a shame to waste that high, wouldn't it? But at the same time, Anti wasn't a patient man. He wasn't often in such an affectionate mood either- and this time?  _ His _ needs would take precedence.

_ Fuck _ Mark's script.

"Turn around."

"I'm sorry?"

"Just do it," Anti sighed, shifting back on the bed and patting the duvet in front of him. "C'mon, Darky, sit down and  _ relax _ . I'll take care of ye."

Dark didn't look so content anymore. He fixed Anti with an expression of exhaustion, though he still smiled somewhat fondly, lips twitching slightly upwards. It was a welcome sign that if not for his task, he'd be more than willing to indulge Anti's request.

"Anti, dear, I already told you I'm-"

"Not in the mood for sex," Anti finished, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I got it, I'm not  _ stupid _ . Fuckin' get on the bed and cuddle me before I make ye…"

**"Oh?"** Dark challenged, a fuller smile creeping onto his lips.  **"You'll** **_make me_ ** **, hm?"**

"Final warnin', take it or leave it." Anti smirked. The atmosphere was becoming more and more playful by the minute, their teasing exchanges hopefully leading to a warm, fulfilling ending. "Ye don't wanna see me  _ mad _ , do ye?"

"Oh hush, dear, we both know you'll exhaust yourself asking before you'll even feel  _ slightly _ angry…"

Bright green eyes narrowed, and Dark's shone electric blue in return.

"Gimme that," Anti hissed, lunging for Dark's script. It crumpled slightly in his hands, but he wasn't worried about that now- he enjoyed the little gasp of surprise that left Dark's lips, but didn't loiter to see what would happen next. With a short burst of energy, he'd glitched into the bathroom again, chest welling up with smug laughter.

**"Oh no you** **_don't_ ** **,"** Dark called, throwing the door open with a flick of his hand, approaching Anti with a face he couldn't quite keep straight.  **"Is this your plan? To distract me with a petty game of hide and-?"**

"Catch me if ye can!" Anti teased, dissipating once more. This time, he appeared downstairs, glitching right past a concerned-looking Edward on his way to the kitchen. All the while, he could hear Dark's footsteps cascading down the stairs.

" _ Anti _ -?"

"Bye Doc!" Anti waved gleefully, shifting through the wall. He was in the manor's theatre, and it was completely empty- here, he allowed himself to catch a breath.

_ That was his mistake. _

Throwing the shutter doors open, Dark stood in the hallway, a playful yet annoyed expression on his face. His lips twisted into a smug grin as he flicked his hand, tugging the script easily from Anti's weakened grasp.

**"** **_Mine_ ** **,"** Dark gloated, lingering just to tease. Anti wasn't having it.

"You're expectin' me to get up and chase ye for it, aren't ye?" Anti asked him, raising an eyebrow. "And ye call  _ me _ the childish one-"

**"Don't play** **_coy_ ** **, Anti, naive suits you much better…"**

Anti let out a low whistle at that, leaning back in one of the plush chairs. "Ooh,  _ ouch _ , was that supposed to hurt? Guess I've gotta get up and shake that one off…"

He hadn't done this in years, and  _ never _ on purpose. It had been so long since he'd glitched his body into a separate illusion, a mirror image of himself, that some part of him doubted he could even still make it happen. But Anti wasn't one for giving up. Not  _ anymore _ .

Dark's eyes widened as Anti suddenly split into two, three, four separate people. They fixed him with that teasing, gloating smile, and then- oh, that was  _ strange _ .

"Give us the script, Darky," one of them commanded. Dark found himself pressed against the theatre wall by nothing but his own nerves, the copies of his lover advancing, staring him down.

**"No."**

"Aw, ye look so  _ tense _ …" another cooed, ghosting a hand across Dark's cheek. "Mind if I fix that for ye, hm?"

"Don't leave  _ me _ out."

**"Look at you…"** Dark breathed, still holding the script behind his back.  **"So divided amongst yourself that even your hallucinations are squabbling… only the real Anti could even** **_touch_ ** **me."**

They all smirked in unison.

"I know," they chorused, and three of them dissolved into the glitchy air. Anti was here, grinning, one hand clasped tightly around the script while the other rested on Dark's chin. He looked pleased with himself- who was Dark to ruin that?

"Checkmate," Anti smirked, leaning gratefully into the defeated kiss Dark pulled him into. It was more than just an embrace- it was a sign he'd  _ won _ . A sign that Dark was ready and willing to concede his control for the night, to suck it up and put his stupid script aside.

Then… something  _ changed _ .

Could it have been something in the air? The energies they shared resonating on the same frequency, the magic crackling around them carrying something mysterious and new?

He felt…  _ different _ . Odd. Confused?

He blinked down at his discoloured hands, uncertainty brewing in his gut. What just… happened? Where did Anti  _ go _ ? I was right here,  _ we _ were…

"Holy shit." He breathed, tugging at the tie that felt strangely unfamiliar against the broken skin of his neck. "Holy  _ shit _ … I'm both of us, aren't I? Is that even  _ possible _ ? Do we even… Anti, calm  _ down _ .  **No** .  **_Hah_ ** **,** holy  _ shit _ , that voice is  **_fun_ ** !"

He attempted to growl, but his mouth was twisted instead into a wide grin, bright eyes meeting as he looked into the reflective screen of the theatre's plasma TV. His hair was long and dark, falling over his face, his eyebrows thick and arched with an air of elegance. He had one blue eye, one green- his lips were a little fuller, his beard thicker, his face marred with scars that were both hauntingly familiar and  _ jarringly _ different from what he was used to seeing.

Was it narcissistic for him to think he was oddly beautiful?

_ Probably. _

"Anti,  _ please _ , let's talk about this situation… I'm here, I'm  _ listening _ . I'm confused. I'm happy, and worried, and  _ excited _ , and…  _ shit _ . How do we make it stop?"

He was surprised at his own cocky smirk as he viewed himself through the mirror, raising his eyebrows as if he was taunting himself.

"Is it masturbation or a handjob if we- oh my  _ God _ , Anti,  _ don't…  _ It's a perfectly valid question! And regardless of that, we're still stuck in this… predicament..."

He bit his lip, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Is this because I glitched into ye? I don't know, Anti… but don't ye have any clue what this is? Do I  _ look _ like I have answers? I'm me, but I'm  _ you _ , and we're… us.  _ Me _ … Y'know, this isn't so bad.  _ Isn't it? _ I mean, I get to be closer to ye than ever before… God, Anti, that's  _ sickening _ … I know that I love it."

Danti let out a discontented hum, regarding his scarred up arms with some measure of intrigue. He looked over the rest of his body- he seemed…  _ thinner _ than usual, though he felt just as strong. He was leaner, smaller, constricted around his chest because he seemed to be wearing two different T-shirts. One, the inner of the two, was Dark's skull-patterned graphic tee. He could only wager that the outer shirt was Anti's plain black one. His pyjama bottoms had seemed to merge together into one pair, separated at his crotch. On his right, Dark's rose-patterned bottoms connected to Anti's turtle-patterned ones on his left. The seam joining them was invisible to the naked eye.

"I… look utterly ridiculous."

_ Why do I like that? _

"Dark? Anti? Are you- wait,  _ what _ ?!"

Evidently, his appearance was enough to shock Edward as well. Maybe he should take pride in that.

"Heya," Danti greeted. "I  **mean** … oh,  _ fine _ , I doubt you could be formal if you tried… damn  _ right. _ "

"I… need more coffee to process  _ this _ …" Edward muttered, shaking his head as he left the room.

"Coward!" Danti shouted in his direction, exhilarated grin making way for a disgruntled grimace as he shook his head. "This isn't going to work- we need to get back to my room before we ruin our reputation even more… Hmph, I think ye mean  _ fix _ our reputation. Hush, you.  _ Nope _ . Ye think if we-  _ gah _ !"

Danti gritted his teeth, clenching his fists in frustration.  **"** **_No_ ** **. Bedroom.** **_Now._ ** **"**

Those were three words neither of them had ever expected to say aloud. He dissipated in a cloud of black, glitchy particles, and didn't come downstairs again.

  
  



End file.
